Greg Inglis' footsteps are getting louder, but Australian fullback Billy Slater insists he has felt players coming for his representative jerseys his entire career.

The push for Inglis to move to fullback for Queensland and Australia has gathered momentum given the South Sydney No.1's blistering start to the year.

While Slater, the Melbourne fullback, denied the competition was at the forefront of his mind, he said it had a subconscious impact on his game.

''To be honest, I've felt people coming my whole career,'' said Slater, whose representative career started on the wing for Queensland in 2004.

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''It's not just Greg, Jarryd Hayne is playing some great football. Matt Bowen's always been there, Ben Barba came on the scene and Anthony Milford is playing some great football at fullback.

''It seems like a spot that everyone has got to be in form. I just so happen to be the current fullback. I've got a job to do on Friday night, it's not my job to talk about that stuff in the media, my job is to perform on Friday night. I suppose it pushes you along subconsciously. Consciously it's just about measuring yourself against your own performances. I suppose subconsciously it's there.''

Top man: Billy Slater trains with the Australian team on Tuesday, ahead of Friday's Test against New Zealand. Photo: Getty Images

While Inglis wouldn't look out of place in the Kangaroos' No.1 jersey, his ability to play in the centres means he must bide his time to get a crack at the fullback role in representative football.

Inglis doesn't believe he's entitled to the fullback position, insisting Slater was still the best No.1 in the business.

''I think Billy Slater - even though he's not at his best at the moment - he can completely turn it around,'' Inglis said.

On the job: Kangaroos coach Tim Sheens. Photo: Brendan Esposito

''Bill's that player you need in the side. He's the No.1 choice fullback and there's no doubt about it. We'll just see what happens in years to come as we get older.''

There's been plenty of talk about Inglis getting the nod over Slater since the South Sydney superstar made the positional switch in 2012.

Slater said he couldn't afford to get caught up in the speculation and hype surrounding Inglis' rise as a fullback.

''I don't look at it too much, I try and focus on my own game and what I can do for the team,'' he said.

''Myself burying my head in newspapers and reading into all that sort of stuff isn't the best thing for the team. What I do this Friday night is what will help the side. I need to prepare the best I can in that period in the meantime. I don't look into it too much.

''Obviously Greg's a great player and I've played with and against Greg for a long time now. It doesn't matter where you play him, he's going to be a key figure in your side. I'm very fortunate to play alongside him at Test level and state level, but I try not to read into it too much.''

Inglis played his first game at fullback for the Kangaroos against Fiji in the World Cup last year.

It looked as though he would get another shot in the final. However, Slater's miraculous recovery from a knee injury denied Inglis what might have been his best opportunity to make the No.1 jersey his own.